Why The Samsung Galaxy Grand Doesn’t Suck!

Samsung has taken covers off a brand new Android powered handset. Well, that’s nothing new for a company that has been churning out mobile phones faster than lemmings can reproduce. But this one for sure is an interesting one.

Say hello to the Samsung Galaxy Grand. This one gets a huge (by Samsung Galaxy S III standards) 5 inch display – and that makes this device slightly smaller than the Galaxy Note 2. Now if you thought this one is targeted at the buyer sliced between the Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Note 2, you got it all wrong my friend.

The Galaxy Grand is in fact in an altogether different segment! Before we move on to the part where I explain why this phone doesn’t suck, here’s a brief lowdown on the specs. Oh wait. I will rather post a picture of the specs rather than type them out. Here goes.

To start with, let me bust the myth. That large 5 inch display might have made you think that the phone is a high-end, premium, top-of-the-line Samsung device. In fact, it is a far cry from being one. The display on which you can land a small plane (don’t try that at home) has a paltry resolution of *just* 480×800 pixels. That’s right! That’s so 2010! And we don’t even want to talk about the pixel per inch density of the display (which adds up to around 187 pixels per inch). Duh. Right?

Now, I have been seeing the international tech press lampooning this “excuse of a handset” having “subpar” specifications. Subpar specifications? Seriously? In fact, the obnoxious little tech journo in me thinks that this is one hell of a brilliant move by Samsung. Let me explain why the Galaxy Grand might actually make sense.

So, what the hell is Samsung up to here? Well, let me answer your question with just one word.

Emerging markets.

Now being a mobile freak residing in India, this Galaxy Grand totally makes sense. And my little marketing gnomes tell me that the decision to come up with the Grand might have been something to do with the innovation that local, home-grown companies here have been doing for the past few months. You see, I have been using a friend’s Micromax A110 Canvas “Superfone” for some time. This handset has very similar specifications to the Galaxy Grand. You know, a five inch display with “subpar” resolution, a 1 Ghz processor, dual SIM, ample RAM, external storage capacity and decent ability to play games. It also runs Android 4.1 JellyBean! That monster of a phone costs just $182. That’s right. Just 182 quid. And yeah, this is without contracts and stuff. Unlocked. The only other new 5 inch plus display toting handset from a mainstream manufacturer available in India happens to be the Galaxy Note (first generation). Even that will still set you back by $546. That’s lots of money for an average Indian.

Now why on earth would a “normal, not so geeky, upwardly mobile, money conscious Indian want to spend almost three times the money on an older generation Samsung phone when a cheaper, similar looking, decently performing Micromax (with the logo neatly hidden at the back so that people can assume it’s a more expensive device) is readily available in the market? And Micromax might sound like a minnow – but in just a few years’ time, the Noida, Delhi based company has went on to become the third largest selling mobile phone manufacturer in the whole of India. Commendable achievement for a hitherto relatively unknown entity – in the world’s second largest cellular market. And let me tell you, the A110’s are selling like hot cakes here.

THIS is why Samsung thinks that “subpar”, weird devices like the Galaxy Grand make sense. Now, all is dependent on how well Samsung manages to price the device and target it at audiences. From what I have observed the years, people in India tend to prefer a more famous brand even if they are asked to pay slightly more – but the keyword here is “slightly”. Price it ridiculously and all effort goes waste.

Now all we are left to watch is whether Samsung follows up its brilliant move to come up with such a handset, with another brilliant decision. Pricing it just right.